- YM
Sidestep: Cultural? It isn't now
At one time Europeans (and others) kept slaves. It was almost accepted practice then - it isn’t now.
At one time Maori kept slaves. It was cultural then - it isn’t now.
At one time is was accepted practice for Europeans to have 13 year old boy's work in factories - it in't now.
At one time cannibalism within Maori was an accepted cultural practice – it isn’t now.
At one time it was the norm for all Europeans to believe in magic or witchcraft - it isn't now.
At one time infanticide within Maori culture was an accepted cultural practice - it isn’t now
At one time Europeans forced (pressed) people to work on ships. The public opposed it but the courts upheld it, as it was deemed vital to the strength of the navy and, by extension, to the survival of the British influence and realm - it isn’t now
At one time it was accepted practice for European prisoners to be sent to the other side of the world to serve their sentence, (essentially as slave labour) – it isn’t now.
At one time, on European ships, crewmen stealing could result in a keel hauling. It was an accepted punishment – it isn’t now.
At one time Maori prisoners (along with European prisoners) were forced to hard labour and it was accepted judicial practice – it isn’t now.
At one time Europeans did not see taking abandoned curiosities as something wrong, the context was if they are discarded....! Those that 'stole' things still knew it was wrong, as stealing was a not an accepted cultural practice even if it did occur. Now it’s in law that it is an offense... European law.
At one time Maori did not see stealing silver spoons or an axe from Europeans as something wrong. Was it cultural? That depended on the context. A slave could be killed for theft among Maori, yet a chief was treated differently. Some theft was seen as an art form, and the more cunning the theft the less likelihood of punishment. So it was cultural. But stealing of any means is not accepted practice now.
At one time it was seen as acceptable to flog a Maori (or for that matter any crewmember on a European ship), for theft - it isn’t now.
If you know the story of the Boyd, then at one time it was seen as acceptable for Maori to murder 90 innocent people for the flogging of that Maori (one son of a chief) – it isn’t now.
At one time it was accepted cultural practice for Maori to roam the country with muskets and murder all the unarmed opponents (enemy iwi) one could find in the name of utu – but guess what... it isn’t now!
IT ISN"T NOW!
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Now while it is true the above few examples are written mostly from a Pakeha perspective (and by the way, the term Pakeha includes Asian, Middle Eastern, African, American or European), Maori could write an equally Maori perspective on injustices and cultural wrongdoings and be right in all those examples as well for perspective is accurate. The question this article raises is simply this....
How long will current citizens of this nation (regardless of their colour) carry the blame for their ancestors mistakes? Do we live in 1430, 1620, 1710, 1795, 1840, or 2021?
Everything written by European about the Maori from 1773 until about 1920 was written in the context of the age it was written. Maori still get upset seeing the term ‘savage’ or 'native'; that was written in a book or journal nearly 150 years ago... in the context of European thought - as it was 150 years ago! No one thinks of them as savage anymore. Maori still get upset by those 150-year-old words written in a context and for a people living 150 years ago. Both that context and those people are dead! Hear me...? DEAD! Yet, European practices of 150 years ago are often raised by Maori still living in the past, and then, when a European decides to go back there (150 years ago) himself and raises a practice of Maori by mentioning - say cannibalism... there is gross annoyance or offense. It is then pointed out by some academic part-Maori that it was an accepted part of the culture back then, but not anymore... Yes... Exactly! My God, you got it!!!! It was an accepted practice back then - but it isn't now!
Everything done by Maori and European (and killings were started by both sides) was done is the context of the age in which it occurred. It is obscene for a Maori to think that Europeans now think and act exactly the same way as their ancestors in 1825. It is equally obscene for Europeans to assume Maori think and act the same way they did in 1825 because much that was once cultural is now missing because it is no longer acceptable in 2021. If it was acceptable, they would still be doing it.
There is a Maori proverb that suggests one should be “walking backwards into the future.” It suggests one reveres past traditions and recognize the role that the past plays in shaping the future. But that was a saying from another point in time. However, if you walk backwards into the future you are always living in the past with no idea where you are going.... that is a sad fact!
The man shown on our $50 bill was once in our NZ Parliament. Sir Āpirana Ngata was of Maori descent and he wielded intelligence, tact and political savvy, and became renowned for his oratory prowess, speaking out against the government's policies towards Maori, particularly those encouraging the sale of Maori land. Not just a politician, lawyer or scholar, he was also known as an activist, agitating for the protection of the Maori culture and language – actively promoting haka, poi, traditional carving and the building of wharenui around the country as well as writing widely on Maori cultures place in the modern age. Yet even he was chastised by his 'own' Maori people in the 1920’s, when he suggested they ban the sale of liquor to his people on the East Coast to ensure their mortgages would be paid instead of money being wasted on alcohol. Many Maori saw this right being taken away as treachery. Why? Was drinking alcohol cultural? For that matter was paying a mortgage...?
If Maori continue to raise things from the past that are not practiced anymore by New Zealanders or the Government, then anyone of any race is fully free to go back to the past and publically raise the practices of Maori not practiced anymore.... Cannibalism, infanticide, utu, polygamy, slavery to name just a few...
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Personally I do not think the Treaty of Waitangi should be handing out any money as Maori lawyers sponge up millions of it anyway (it's partly a welfare gravy train for the Maori elite and we all know it). Instead, the government should be handing out land, paying the current owners (properly) to vacate the land, minus all the European add ons (chattels). Land is cultural, money is not. Land is cultural, forestry is not. Land is cultural, European buildings, bridges and roads are not. So buy the land, take whatever is not cultural from it, and return it - permanently. That way the Maori Elite can't line their pockets because everyone of every Iwi will the land and what is done on it. Everything will be Koataata.
Yet, we have seen how successful Ngai Tahu have been in adapting to the modern way of life with their monetary payments. Ngai Tahu have gained much respect for their ability to walk forward into the future - all with their eyes forward!
So one must
Decide to return to the old ways; like many in the Ureweras have come close to, or
Live life in the world we have in 2021 with all the luxuries the European 'colonialist' descendants have created, or
Try and merge what cannot be merged successfully and argue, whinge, moan and demand all the way to a dissatisfied and unfulfilled future while claiming millions upon millions that will solve nothing of any grievance.
Money produces greed and greed is never satisfied. Yet money is not cultural and to accept money means that one is following the European cultural ways, not Maori culture. The focus on money rather than land is plain wrong. I'm all for the return of land and this can easily be done over hundreds of years.
You can make changes today and help make change for the future, but it's absurd to look back, nothing done here ever changes what happened back there.
